


Just Listen

by MissFay7



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alcohol, Christmas, Countdown, Food, Gen, Logan and Virgil argue but make up, Mentions of past injury, cursing, obligatory interaction with relatives, struggling with recent hearing loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28417968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissFay7/pseuds/MissFay7
Summary: The fam-ILY gets together for a Christmas celebration.
Kudos: 7
Collections: Sanders Sides 2020 Gift Exchange





	Just Listen

**Author's Note:**

> Oldest to Youngest: Logan/Remus/Roman/Janus/Virgil/Patton/Alec  
> DD:HH:MM:SS - Days : Hours : Minutes : Seconds

Once upon a time, there were seven cousins born of four siblings. The oldest sister and her husband had twins and named them Roman and Remus. The second oldest sister and her partners had a child and named him Alec. The youngest sister had one child and named him Patton. And their brother, the youngest of them all, had three children named Logan, Janus, and Virgil. 

**00:16:02:32 until Christmas Day, 7:58 AM**

Logan, the oldest cousin, was leaning against the kitchen counter holding a fresh cup of coffee in one hand and rubbing his right temple with the other. He blinked against the early morning sun of Christmas Eve streaming in. 

“You’re up early!”

Logan jumped at the movement to his right and found his aunt looking at him. 

“Good morning, Aunt Mel. I made coffee.”

“Bless ya, kid,” she said, turning toward the machine. When she came back around to grab the sugar, he was gone.

**00:13:25:17 until Christmas Day, 10:35 AM**

“Who took the last piece of bacon?!” 

Roman froze in his spot on the floor in front of the T.V. If he were just very, very still, maybe-

“J’accuse!” Remus shouted from the kitchen door over the sounds of chatter and clinking kitchenware. Roman spun around to see Remus pointing at him menacingly.

“You already had some!” Roman yelled back, pulling his plate close. Remus, not breaking eye contact even once, methodically kicked off his flip flops and set his plate gently on top of a bookshelf. He crouched a little and rolled his shoulders.

“Remus, no, my juice, Remus! NOOO-”

**00:13:23:03 until Christmas Day, 10:37 AM**

From his cozy spot beneath the sheets in the spare bedroom, Virgil heard a scream and a thump. And then several more thumps. He blinked and stretched, smooshing his face into the pillow. For one precious moment, he imagined he could go back to sleep but the dream was pierced by Aunt Patty’s shrill voice scolding someone down the hall. 

He shoved himself up on his elbows and sent a hostile glare at the general brightness of the room. Things quieted down but it was too late - he was up. He stretched for several more minutes before finally straightening his clothes and stumbling out to follow the smell of breakfast.

**00:12:40:54 until Christmas Day, 11:20 AM**

Virgil shuffled past the subdued twins in the living room and into the kitchen, stopping at the door as his brain tried to process what was happening. His younger cousin, Patton, was furtively opening and closing all the cabinets, searching each and every one. Apparently he found what he was looking for, because he started chuckling to himself and reached behind some cups to pull out a huge plastic bag of cookies. He opened it and spun around on his socks, walking headlong into Virgil.

“Ah!” Patton nearly dropped the bag, and a couple cookies fell out onto the floor. Virgil laughed as they picked them up together.

“Whatcha doing, Pat?”

Patton waved him close, whispering. 

“My mom keeps hiding the cookies. She said if I keep eating ‘em she’s gonna have to make more for tomorrow. That sounds like a win-win to me!” He took the floor cookie from Virgil and pocketed it. They took turns peering into the dining room where the older folks were talking.

“You do you, cuz.” They bumped fists and Virgil scooped some cold leftover eggs onto a paper plate to take with him to the living room. Remus shoved past him coming back into the kitchen. 

Whatever Remus had planned to do in here was lost when he spotted Pat.

“Oo! Cookies!”

**00:11:22:49 until Christmas Day, 12:38 PM**

“What exactly are we watching, Roman?” asked Patton, popping a couple Tums into his mouth and flopping down into a recliner. Roman was still planted in the middle of the living room floor, but now Virgil was keeping him company, fast asleep on the couch with an empty plate in his lap. Roman didn’t look away from the screen.

“A Christmas Prince. It’s about a journalist that falls in love with the prince of a whole Christmas-themed country! And the bad guy’s not too bad lookin’ either.” Roman squeezed a pillow to his chest.

“Oh, right, I thought it looked familiar! Did you watch Jenny Nicholson’s breakdown of it?”

“Who?”

Patton smiled at the look of wonder on Roman’s face as he followed the characters on screen. At the silence, Roman turned around to look at him, distracted but curious. Patton waved him off. 

“Never mind.” Better not to spoil it.

**00:07:12:24 until Christmas Day, 16:47 PM**

“Dinner tiiime!” Aunt Patty peeked into the living room. “It’s all ready, you guys hungry?”

“Yisss!” Patton launched himself out of the recliner with Virgil following slowly behind. Roman tore his eyes away from the current Hallmark movie with great effort, checking his phone messages.

Aunt Mel was in the kitchen with their little cousin Alec. Just as they passed through he let up a screech, making them all jump. Roman’s phone went flying.

“AAAAA DON’T WANNA WASH I’M STILL PLAYING!”

“AH, sweet Jesus,” Roman clutched his chest dramatically as the rest started laughing.

“Alright, keep it together, ya hooligans,” Aunt Mel teased them. “Alec, I’ve had too much wine today for you to be screaming at the water. You told me yesterday you love playing with the water-”

Auntie continued to help Alec wash his hands and the cousins tumbled into the dining room where Logan and the grandparents were already gathering. Logan braced at the incoming chaos. 

“What happened to you?” He asked them.

“Didn’t you hear Alec screaming?” Virgil deadpanned.

“Oh,” Logan straightened his glasses. “Yes, that.”

The rest of the family came up from the basement talking heatedly about the Saints and the Vikings. Who was winning or losing at that particular moment was unclear, but dinner would proceed regardless. 

**00:04:47:19 until Christmas Day, 19:13 PM**

“Defuse!” Remus slammed a card down onto the table. “Whew, that was close. I almost exploded in a fiery, kitten-y death!”

“Boom!” Alec cheered. Nearly the whole family was gathered around the kitchen-table-turned-game-table, even the grandparents and great grandma, Maman. Aunt Patty and Uncle Mitch were downstairs watching the end of the football game, and Titi was just a few feet away putting a new batch of sugar cookies in the oven. She shot a good-natured stare at Patton. 

“Sorry, mooom,” “Sorry, Titiii” he and Remus chorused. “Patton tricked me!”

“Hey!”

“That’s okay, you two can help me decorate these later as punishment. Remus,” Titi pointed to the person beside him. “Help Maman with her turn, remember?”

“Oh, yeah!” Remus leaned over the centenarian. “You got any actions, Maman?”

“Quel est ce dessin?” She held her cards up to him and pointed.

“That’s a cat dressed as a taco, Maman. C’est un mème.”

While the game continued around the table, Virgil watched Logan discreetly. Sitting to his left, something was wrong with his oldest brother. He wasn’t sure what yet, but it was definitely… something.

“Nope!” Logan put a card down over Uncle Jim’s attack. Aunt Mel went next, then she helped Alec with his turn, and then, there it was; Logan’s brow furrowed ever so slightly. His eyes flitted back and forth between the players and the cards. He stared at their faces, but not quite at eye level. Patton’s, Roman’s, Grandma’s turns all passed the same - he was concentrating so hard. Why?

“Virgil?” Grandpa nudged him out of his speculation. “It’s your turn.”

Logan was staring at him expectantly. 

“Oh.” Virgil glanced at two mismatched cats and drew. An exploding kitten. He was dead. “You’re turn, Lo.”

Logan spent a second longer waiting to see if Virgil was done, and then played his own cards. As they both watched Remus go next, Virgil leaned in closer.

“What is up with you?” He whispered. Logan didn’t take his eyes off Remus’ cards.

“Hey!” He kept whispering, jabbing Logan in the ribs.

“Ow!” Logan yelped, then lowering his voice. “What?”

“I asked you a question, don’t act like you can’t hear me.” 

Logan squinted at him, then his face shifted. He looked stricken. 

“I’m playing “See The Future”,” someone said. “Hand me the deck.”

**00:04:22:44 until Christmas Day, 19:38 PM**

_ VIRGE: what happened? _

A new round had started and Virgil hoped that switching to text would let them continue their argu-  _ debate _ without distracting the rest of the family.

_ BIG BRO: Nothing _

_ VIRGE: bullshit _

Logan ignored his phone, watching the game progress counter-clockwise this time. Virgil did not accept this strategy.

_ VIRGE: ! _

_ VIRGE: ! _

_ VIRGE: ! _

_ VIRGE: ! _

_ VIRGE: ! _

_ VIRGE: ! _

_ BIG BRO: Stop _

_ VIRGE: tell the truth.  _

_ BIG BRO: (Seen) _

They paused to take their turns, and when Virgil picked his phone back up, Logan was already typing. He tried to be patient, but the energy was clear in the way his foot tapped the ground.

_ BIG BRO: It seems my hearing has not entirely recovered since that explosion during chem lab a couple months ago. I’ve got tinnitus in my right ear. It is quite difficult to pick up sounds over the ringing when they’re coming from that direction.  _

_ BIG BRO: Or sometimes from any direction. So, I’m concentrating a little more. That’s all.  _

Virgil glanced between the texts and Logan several times, Logan staring with seemingly great intent at his cards. 

_ VIRGE: THATS ALL? _

_ BIG BRO: Calm down, it’s not a big deal. _

_ VIRGE: have you been to a doctor? _

Logan stopped to play another “Nope” card. Virgil was ready to scream at the delay. The chatter at the table seemed louder to him now and much, much different.

_ BIG BRO: Yes. And I’ve done plenty of my own research. There’s not much to be done unless I want to get surgery or start wearing hearing aids. _

_ VIRGE: so wear hearing aids until you decide about the surgery _

_ BIG BRO: They’re expensive, Virgil. _

_ VIRGE: dads insrance must cover some of it and ive got some extra money _

_ BIG BRO: No. Thank you. That money’s yours. You worked hard for it.  _

_ VIRGE: your e taking it _

_ BIG BRO: That’s not the problem. _

_ VIRGE: then what is.? _

_ BIG BRO: (Seen) _

_ VIRGE: why won’t you make it easier on yourself? you know none of us will care if you wear one. the explosion wasn’t even your fault, it was that other kid _

Virgil sent the text and looked at Logan, waiting. Remus was nearly finished with his turn; Logan was next. The turns passed, but Logan didn’t pick his phone back up from the table.

_ VIRGE: why _

Logan glanced at the text preview when it came up on the screen, still not moving.

_ VIRGE: i know you can see this _

_ VIRGE: why _

_ VIRGE: why _

_ VIRGE: why _

“Because!” Logan shouted, slapping his cards down. Everyone fell into a stunned quiet.

“Are you guys cheating? Mom says cheating is wrong.” Alec’s voice broke the silence a second later. Virgil stuck his tongue out at him.

“I assure you we are not cheating,” Logan smiled at Alec. “Virgil’s just being a pest.”

The game resumed, Patton taking an absurd amount of actions before drawing another Beard Cat card. Was it even legal to have that many cards?

Virgil leaned back in his chair, tired from the stress. His phone buzzed.

_ BIG BRO: This is my last semester. I’ll get one after graduation. _

**00:00:41:12 until Christmas Day, 23:19 PM**

Roman carried two mugs of coffee into the living room as back-to-back commercials for  _ 24 Hours of A Christmas Story _ played on the T.V. He handed one to Virgil and got back under the throw blanket.

“Thanks.”

“Whatcha doing?” Roman peered at Virgil’s laptop. There were at least a dozen tabs open. The current screen showed some kind of fancy earpods. 

“Just killin’ time.” Virgil opened yet another tab.

“Yeah, it’s a bummer Janus picked a college so far away. But the train’s due in a few minutes! Then it’ll be officially Christmas.” 

“I mean, he still has to, like,  _ get here _ from the station.” 

“Whatever,” shrugged Roman. He flipped through the channels. All commercials. He settled back on the Hallmark channel, laying down and closing his eyes while they waited for the latest must-have-product ads to end.

“Remember when we played dress up together?” Roman mused. “Mom taped all those toilet paper rolls together so we could have swords and we all fought over the two paper crowns from Burger King? Do they still make those?”

“I have no idea,” Virgil laughed. “That was so long ago, how do you even remember that?”

“Because I was a fabulous ruler! The kingdom prospered unendingly under my leadership!” Roman flung his free arm wide, not bothering to open his eyes. “It was glorious!”

“All you did was declare free love-”

“An important doctrine!” Roman jabbed at the air once before letting his arm flop back down and graze the carpet. “All Janus did was universally pardon thieves and liars, was that so much better?”

“Well, I  _ was _ playing a thief. Maybe I’m biased.”

“You  _ would _ …” Roman muttered. He didn’t finish the thought.

“Roman?”

A little snort was the only response. Roman was fast asleep, coffee untouched and the remote resting by his head.

**00:00:00:03 until Christmas Day, 23:59 PM**

**00:00:00:02...**

**00:00:00:01...**

_ 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house _

_ Virgil was stirring; he snuck like a mouse. _

_ The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, _

_ in hopes that his brother soon would be there. _

**Christmas Day, 01:23 AM**

“Wake up!” 

Roman gasped. Someone was shoving him into the couch cushions.

“He’s here!” Virgil bounced on his shoulder again, almost knocking the laptop to the ground. 

“Okay! Jeez, I’m up. I’m up!”

Virgil was already gone, shoving his boots on while a taxi drove away outside leaving two figures in the darkness with their bags. By the time Roman was on his feet, Janus was shouldering through the door with a backpack and giant suitcase, a cute boy following just behind. 

“What is up, king?” Roman and Janus clasped hands and half hugged. “Who’s this?”

“Oh, you know.” Janus shrugged off the bag. “This is my boyfriend. Nico, this is my cousin, Roman.”

Nico stifled a yawn and waved. “Pleasure to meet you, Roman!” Virgil came in setting down two more bags and nudged Janus.

“I thought we all agreed not to bring dates again after what happened last-”

“Oh, sweetheart, you must be exhausted!” Roman interrupted as he picked up one of the bags. “I’ll show you where you’re sleeping.” 

“Thank you so much, our stuff took forever to load off the train.” Nico started to follow him. 

“Hands to yourself, Ro,” Janus hissed after them. “I like this one.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Roman grinned, disappearing around the corner into the hallway. Nico hesitated.

“What…?” 

Janus waved him off. “I’ll tell you later.” When they were both out of sight, he turned to Virgil. 

“It looks like half the county’s parked in our front yard. Is dad up?”

“He didn’t stay.” Virgil shrugged. “He got into a fight with Titi last night and left after an hour.”

“I see…” Janus sighed, looking down the hall for a moment. “Can’t break tradition now, can we?” He smiled up at his little brother. “Did you get taller?”

Virgil answered by way of a bear-hug, squeezing the breath out of him.

“I missed you, too, Virge.” 

**Christmas Day, morning-ish**

“Merci, Maman! Thank you!” Everyone spoke over each other, unwrapping the sweaters she had made for each of them. 

“Yellow was very, uh, popular this year, no?” She teased them. “I hope that you like them.”

“Mine does not have yellow, it’s  _ gold. _ ” Roman corrected everyone. Aunt Patty scolded him. Janus laughed. 

“Don’t complain, Roman, yellow is just the superior color,” said Janus, wrestling his own sweater on.

“Yours is more black than yellow!” Roman pointed out. Janus’ head popped up through the collar.

“Did I say yellow? I meant ‘black’. Black is the superior color.”

“Black’s not even a color,” Roman called after Janus shimmying away to grab a cookie with Nico in the kitchen. He came back a second later.

“Why does this cookie look like it’s frosted with vomit?” Janus held one up, looking affronted.

“Don’t suppress my creativity!” Remus shouted from under the tree.

**Christmas Day, sometime, who cares anymore?**

Logan stood in the hallway, reading an email from Virgil, sent at three that morning. It was lists of hearing aids, their pros and cons, and prices. And another email from Janus a few minutes ago with links on how to get disability funding. That would explain Virgil’s note at the end...

_ I love you. Please don’t be mad. I told Janus. _

He rubbed a hand over his face and chuckled. Had he really thought he was going to keep this a secret for even a day around those two? He pocketed the phone for now and walked through the house. 

There was Patton and Roman watching a girl in a beret talk on youtube. Roman had a horrified look on his face. Janus was in the kitchen teaching Alec how to play chess, and not going easy on the kid  _ at all. _ Logan peeked downstairs. There were Virgil and Remus and Nico, playing charades with the aunties. Remus was making some obscene gesture that had Aunt Mel on the floor laughing and spilling her wine, and Aunt Patty was yelling at both of them.

Logan wandered to the couch and plopped down.  _ It’s a Wonderful Life _ , was playing on the television. Logan hummed along with the closed captioning as the characters celebrated saving George Bailey from false charges. The vibrations in his chest felt right.

_ For auld lang syne, my dear _

_ For auld lang syne _

_ We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet _

_ For days of auld lang syne _

~

The End.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second of 3 pieces I did for the 2020 sanderssidesgiftexchange event on tumblr. Thank you to Kiera for the prompts.


End file.
